Keyboard for type-writing or analogous machines.



.W. F. KEMBLE. KEYBOARD FOR TYPE wmme 0R ANALOGOU'S MACHINES.APPLICATION FILED OCT. 9. I932.

1,26%;439 Patented 0m. 3,1916.

WITNESSES; INVENTORY n izwQ- w W the keyboard to effect the selectionand depression of individual keys.

' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE; a.

WILLIAM F. KEMBLE, or YonKERs; NEW YORK.

I KEYBOARD FOR TYPE-WRITING- OR ANALOG-Oil's LT ACHINES.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, WVILLIAM'F. KEuBLE, acitizen of the United States, and a resident of Yonkers, in the countyof Vestchester and State of New York, have invented certain new andseful Improvements in Keyboards for ype-VVriting or Analogous Machines,of which the following is-a specification,

Thisinventionrelates to a keyboard for.

typewriting or analogous machines, and the main object of the inventionis to provide a key mechanism for machines of this general class. inwhich all of the keys and other parts to be depressed by the fingers ofthe operatorare located in such positions as to permit the depression ofthe same while the hand as a whole is maintained substantially in afixedposition with respect to the key board. 4

As is well known the natural movements of the fingers of the hand followcertain definite paths 'or'lines, not all of the fingers movingnaturally in the same or similar directions. In order to obtain akeyboard of maximum efliciency-that is, one which will require theminimum of effort on the part of the operator in locating and depressingthe keys,-etc., to be depressed-these keys,

etc, should be located in. groups-corresponding respectively to theindividual fingers to be used in striking such keys. Where all of thefingers of each hand are brought into play and each has a definiteportion of the keyboard under its individual control, and the keys socontrolled are located in positions corresponding as closely as possibleto thenatural path ofmovement of the finger by which they are intendedto be struck, the.

minimum of 'movement'will be required at The keyboard of thepresentinvention is i one in whichthe keys and all-other manually controlledparts of the keyboard are so located relatively to one another and tothenatural paths of movement followed by the fingers'of the hand-orhands held in a substantially all, unnecessary movement of fingers andhands in manipulating such keys, etc. The preferred construction is onein which a set of keys is divided into a plurality of linear groupsrunning in different specification of Letters Patent. Patented Oct, 3,1916, Application filed October 9, 1912. Serial 724,713.

directions corresponding substantially-to the natural directions ofmovement of fingers of the hand when the hand is .held horizontally in asubstantially stationary position, these linear groups correspondingusually to the number of fingers on the two hands and the paths inwhich-the groups of each set operated by either hand are locatedpreferably diverging from the front toward the rear of thekeyboard-followingthe natural direction of movement of most of thefingers of the hand.- Where all fingers are used, as is intended in thekeyboard preferably employed, some of the groups are disposed in linearpathsthe general directlon of which is lengthwise of the keyboard, whileothers are disposed in pathshaving a general direction crosswise of thekeyboard, the general direction for the three intermediate fingers ofeach hand being lengthwise. of said keyboard, while for the thumb andthe little finger of each hand the as usual, 'while others have theirsurfaces at' an angle to the horizontal plane, being inclined upwardlytoward the rear of each such group, in order to bring the keys near theback, of the keyboard nearer to the center of swing of the operatorsfinger than would be the case if all were disposed horizontally. Inaddition to the keys being arranged as just described, the manuallyoperated elements, whether keys, bars, or other similar parts, intendedto control the operation of spacing and shift levers, will. alsopreferably be located in such positions as to be readily operated,substantially with out change of position of either hand with respect tothe keyboard as a whole, the preferred construction being one in whichthe spacing-lever is operated by one part of the palm of the hand andthe shift-lever or le- 7 'vers by another' or other parts of said palm.

Other features of the invention not here- 11.

inbefore referred to will be hereinafter de scribed and claimed and areillustrated in the accompanying.drawings, 1n wlnch.fl'

Figure l is a plan of a keyboard 'illus 5 trating so much of .atypewriting or ana-. gous machine embodying the presenti'nven tion as isnecessary to understand the same; Fig. 2 is a detail illustrating inside ele vation a portion of said keyboard, and Fig.

10 3 isa detail illustrating in front elevation;

with parts broken away, substantially half of said keyboard.

Similar characters designate like parts in.

or these operating levers may run in parallel straight lines, asindicated in Fig. 1, and as is usual in standard machines, or theymayconverge or be grouped in any other desired manner. At their forwardends so e of these operating bars will ordinarily be bent laterally, asindicated atB and 4,.

either. toward or away from the longitudinal axis of the keyboard. Someof the operating levers may be straight from end to end thereof, asillustratedd Eachof the opcrat ing leversterminates at its forward end,as

is usual, in a key, 5, by means of which the corresponding lever is.depressed. The keylevers so constituted may be those of a machine havingany desired number of cases, but as ilh'lstrated here, the number ofkeys used-corresponds to a three ca'sc. inachinc,,

each key I'QPI'CSBDtlHQ both a capital and a small-letter and also anuswllaneous character.,.to be made, 0r: .such other combination ofthree -characters as may be desired.

It \vi-llbe understood,i of course, that the particularlocation of theletters, etc, to be str-uck, while a matter of choice, will preferablybe-such as will reduce to the minimum the effort required tofind orlocate l(B YS- IGPIBSGHlZlHfI characters most frequen tly .used.

. wThe keys of the keyboard shown are llvidedsubstantiallyrinto twosets. one for the right :hand and onelfor the left, and each set hasyalinear group of keys;theigeneral direction of which corresponds asclosely laspossible to thedircction of movement of the fingermeniploycdto operate the keys of that-group, and ithe; lateral spacing o.f.,the

" groups relative to one another is suchfas to l5 'ing and shift-levers,asis Well understood;

type is illustrated at .6, and this carries a have each group as nearlyas possible immediately under the finger by which it is con- ,trolled,sothat practically nomo'vcment of a finger-crosswise of it's naturalpath of movement Will-be required to find a key. In the keyboard,illustratedmthere are five linear. groups for each hand and two ofthese groups have acommon elenient-and merge --into each other, thesebeing the groups for the thumb, and being located at thecenter' 7 of thefront ofthe keyboard. The other groups, withthe exception of thosecontrolled by the little finger, ext end substantially lengthwise ofthe' keyboard, the groups intended to be operated by the little sofingers being located substantially crosswise p of the keyboard and inpositionsfcorresponding quite closelyto those of the keys intended to beoperated by the thumbs. The five groups for the right hand a'reindicated by "3 a, I), c, d and e, and those for the lefthan'd by a,-7), c, d'and e, the cent alkey :atthe front of the machine, WhlCll isindicated by 11/, being common to the groups a' and a. The group 7) isintended to be controlled 0 only by the forefinger of the right hand,the

group 0 onlyby the second finger. the gri'iup (Z only by the thirdfinger, and the group? only by the-little finger of said' hand. Thegroups I), 0'. (1' and a are correspondingly controlled. The groups aand n. are intend ed to be controlled only by the right and left thumbsrespectively, with the exception of the key a common to both groups,which may be controlled by eithcrthumb. v

Tn addition to the keys controllingthe writing of letters. etc. thekeyboard of such a machine as described ordinarily has spac A spacinglever substantiallyof Well-known suitable manual element or elements.such; as a bar or bars 7, intended to be struck bV the operator. Twosuch manual elements or bars are preferably used. one under the 11ocontrolof the right ha nd and the other under that of the left.Similarly one or more shiitlevers, Which are or may be of the ordinarytype, ""\vi ll beemployed. Shift levers for.

both the second and third casepositions are illustrated, the levers 8represcntingione of these case positions andi thc levers 9 the other,and suitable manual:lclenients keys or barsare connected to "theseleversgtor operating them. The manual, elements shown arebars, 10 and11, andtwo of each are employed, one under the control of each;

hand. Theprincipal feature, howeverflof this part of thekeyboard-isthat'each of these manual elements is so locatedwith re- 1225 spect tothe keys 5 and with respect to the position the hand is intended toocciipy in manipulating the keys, as to be at allitimcs -immediatelyunder a portion of thelpalm of the hand intendcdto operate it; new the"spacing lever is intended to be operatedby the back part of the ball ofthe palm of the hand, While the bars 11 are under the control of theright-hand edge. ofthe palm and the bars 10 underthe control of theleft-hand edge of the palm, these bars being actuated by merely tippingthe hand to the right or to the left as required. Correspondingly thevelement 7 is operated by merely pressing down the back edge of the palm.The two sets, it will be noticed, are disposed symmetrically with thedevices of each set converging toward the longitudinal axis of thekeyboard, in order that all of them may cotiperate properly with thekeys v 5 from a predetermined substantially fixed position of each handwith respect to the key-board under it.

' In addition to the features just described each of the linear groups7), 0, (Z and b, c

' and d, controlled by the three intermediate fingers of the handspreferably has elements disposed in different planes, the keys in -eachof these groups located at or "near the front edge of the keyboard beingin the usual substantially horizontal position of keys of'ordinarykeyboards, while the keys farther back in each of these lineargroups-are inclined toward a horizontal plane, the angle of inclinationbeing preferably such as to bring each inclined key face to a pointwhere the finger controlling it .will have the minimum distance to movein striking it. Where two or more keys of'a s1 ngle group are inclinedfor this purpose the general pathin which the faces .of the keys of-:the group lie will be one having an up-- ward and rearward inclinationfrom the. front of the group, as'will be evident by.

referring to Fig. 2, in which the last inclined key of the group iselevated above the next to the last, but is substantially in a pathcommon to the key faces of all the keys of that group. The same is trueof each of the other series or groups controlled by the 1 threeintermediate. fingers of the hands.

Thus by properly disposing the'keys of the twomain'sets in linesfollowing the' general directions of the fingers when the fingers are inaction, and by disposing the groups controlled by the intermediatefingers of I the hands in paths corresponding approximately to the arcsin which the fingers swing, and by suitably relating the miscellaneouskeys or bars controlling the spacing and shift-levers, etc;, to -the'positions of the keys of themain sets, all of the manual operationsrequired in typewrit- 'ing, etc., may be performed with the minimum ofmovement by the operator, and

particularly with the minimum of movement of the hands relative to thekeyboard,

and a corresponding increase in the efiiciency of the operator securedthrough reduction of the amount of workrequired of him'in accomplishinga given task, or

increase in the amount of work turned out in a given time, or as aresult of the expenditure of a given'amount of energy.

'WhatI 'claim is;

1. In a keyboard of the class described, the combination with aplurality of operating levers running in'one general direction, of a setof keys secured respectively to said operating levers, the keys of saidset being divided into a plurality of linear groups running in differentdirections corresponding substantially to the natural directions ofmovement of fingers of the? hand when the hand is held horizontally iiia substantially stationary position the genera direction of the groupscontrolled by the thumb and the little finger being substantiallycrosswise, and of the groups controlled by the other fingerssubstantially lengthwise, of the keyboard. i

2. In a keyboard of'the class described, the combination with aplurality of operating levers running in one general direction, of a setof keys secured respectively to said operating levers, the keys ofsaidset beingdivided intoa. plurality of linear groups running in diflerentdirections corresponding substantially to the natural directions ofmovement of fingers of the hand when.

ating levers running in one general 'direc tion, of two sets of keyssecured respectively to said operating levers and disposed symmetricallyat opposite sides of the longi-' tudinal axis of the, keyboard, thekeysof each set being divided into a plurality of linear groups running indifferent directions corresponding substantially tow the naturaldirections of movement of fingers'of bothv hands when'the hands are heldhorizontally andin substantially stationary positions the generaldirections of the groups controlled by the thumbs and of thosecontrolled by the little fingers being substantially crosswise, and ofthe groups controlled by the other fingers of each hand substantiallylengthwise, of the keyboard.

4. In a keyboard of: the class described, the combination with aplurality of operating levers running in one general direction,

- of two sets of keys secured respectively to said operating levers anddisposed symmetrically at opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of thekeyboard, the keys of each I set being divided mto a plurality 9f lineargroups running in dih'erent directions corresponding substantiallyto thenatural d1- rections of movement of fingers of both hands when the handsare held horizontally and in substantially stationary positions and thekeys of' th'ose groups of'eaeh set'ivhich' are controlled. by the threeintermediatefin gers of the corresponding hands havingtheir facesiirpaths the general direction of which is upward toward the rear of the'keying rapidly corresponding substantially to i Y the naturaldirections of movement of'fingers of the handwhen the hand is heldhorizontally in a substantially stationaryposition, and aspacing leverhaving a bar dis tant from thelongitudinal center of the keyboard and inposition to be operated by the palm of the hand.

6.' In akeyboard of the class described, the combination with a:plurality of operating levers running in one general direction,

' of a set of keys secured respectively to said operating lovers, thekeys of said set being divided lIltO a plurality of linear groupsrunning in difierent directions corresponding si'ibstantially to thenatural directionswo finoveinent of fingers of the hand when the hand isheldhorizontally in a substantially stationary: position, and 'a'spacinglever and a shift-lever having bars in position to be operatedrespectively by different portions of the. palm of the hand.

7. In a keyboard'ot' the class described,the i combination yvithnplurality of operating lerers running in one general direction, of a setof keys secured respectively to sa1d operatlng levers,,the keys of saidset be ng divided'into a plurality of linear groups "running indifferentdirections correspond ing substantially to the natural directions ofmovement of fingers of the hand when the hand is held horizontally in asubstanatially stationary position,and aspacinglever and a pair ofdifierential shift-levers having bars in position to be operated -respectivelyby the back and both 'sides'ot' the;

palm of the hand.

.In a keyboard of the class described, I

the combination with a plurality of operat ing levers running in onegeneral direction, of two sets of .keys secured respectively to saidoperating levers and, disposed symmetrically at opposite sides'of thelongi-' tudinal axis of the keyboard, the keys 10f each set beingdivided into a plurality of f linear groups running in diilerentdirections corresponding substantially to the natural directions ofmovement of fingers of,

both handswhen. the hands are held horizontally" and in substantiallystationarypo-- sitions, a spacing-lever, difierential ,sh1ft-- levers,andtwo sets of operating bars for said levers said sets being disposedsym nietricallyat opposite sides of the longitu dinal axis of thekeyboard-and all of said bars being inclined toward said axis.

Signed at New York in the county of New.

York and State of NewYork this 4th day,

of October, A D. 1912. I

\VILLIAM F. -KEMBLE;

\Vitnesses; i

ANN-n C. BARNES, C. S. CHAMPION.

